Leipalingis Manor Festival: Children’s Play “The Hunchback Musician”

“THE HUNCHBACK MUSICIAN” — a children’s play by Alytus City Theatre, based on a play by Aldona Liobytė.

“What is a wedding?”
“When a young man brings a young woman to his home?”
“So you’ll bring me home?”
“Can’t you see, forest fairy? I’m ugly.”

So says Kupriukas, a young man dealt a cruel hand by fate, who keeps apart from others. His hump is a source of shame, but his kindness, sincerity and creativity, with the help of forest fairies, ease his difficult lot. This is a play about love—the most important thing in life, and something no amount of money can buy.

“Something always gets in the way of love: all sorts of reasons—parents, distance, circumstances,” says the play’s director, Jonas Gaižauskas.

Based on motifs from Lithuanian folk tales, this interactive play tells a beautiful and tender story about how it takes considerable effort and responsibility to overcome obstacles and preserve affection and love; how only you yourself can cast off your “hump,” symbolising our insecurities and lack of confidence; and how you must choose what matters more: gold or love? In life, outward luxury and splendour mean nothing. But when a person does good deeds, they become beautiful, and their outward flaws become invisible. And when you do good for others, people around you will turn to you and lend a hand—and everything will miraculously change.

How old were you when you first fell in love? The play is intended for young audiences who have experienced the importance of this beautiful feeling, which takes courage.

Director: Jonas Gaižauskas
Set designer: Gintarė Markevičienė
Composer: Andrius Abromavičius
Lighting designer: Vytautas Skruibys
Sound director: Marius Franckevičius
Choreographers: Barbora Bilinskaitė, Greta Žiogelytė
Assistant director: Alma Purvinytė
Cast: Tomas Pukys, Lyja Maknavičiūtė, Eugenijus Rakauskas, Vidas Vaškius, Vincas Vaičiulis, Vaidas Praspaliauskas, Ona Gudaitytė, Eglė Juškaitė, Erika Jasinskaitė-Salickienė
Duration: 1 hr 10 min.
Ticket price: €5 (tickets are sold one hour before the event).
Organizer: Druskininkai Culture Centre’s Leipalingis Leisure Hall.
Partners: Leipalingis town community, Leipalingis Eldership.
Project funded by: Druskininkai Municipality.
This is a public event; photography and filming will take place, and the material will be made public.